


Ring of Fire

by ZombieGears



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: F/M, Mutual Pining, a lot of use of my deputy's first name (sorry!), and being idiots I guess, just idiots being cute, sudden realizations of being in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 21:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19159579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieGears/pseuds/ZombieGears
Summary: Love is a burning thing, and the Deputy and Sharky just realized they're in too deep.





	Ring of Fire

**Author's Note:**

> The taste of love is sweet  
> When hearts like ours meet  
> I fell for you like a child  
> Oh, but the fire went wild
> 
> \- The Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash

The moon shone brightly over the Henbane River as an old Kimberlite pickup rumbled over the bridge leading into Faith’s territory. Headlights illuminated the familiar bull advertising Lorna’s truck stop. The Bliss flowers growing along the ditch in front of the building practically glowed in the moonlight. If it wasn’t for the fact Kirsten knew full well what the flowers were used for, she’d almost find them pretty. Almost.

She’d been focused on driving almost exclusively until she heard jostling beside her. She glanced over to see Sharky awkwardly readjusting, but still staring out the window. He’d been quiet for a bit now, which was fairly un-Sharky like. She almost went to ask what was wrong, but he spoke first.

“So, uh, hey Dep? When this is all over, you’re not gonna like, turn me over or nothin’, right?” He asked, looking entirely uncomfortable at his own question.

There was a beat of silence as Kirsten took that in. “No?” She replied. “I mean, I probably should, considerin’ your wanted poster on the Spread Eagle, but no. I’m not.”

Sharky let out a sigh of relief. It was almost like the answer to that single question lifted a weight off of him and he was suddenly back to normal. He rubbed the back of his neck before he began talking again.

“That’s good, ‘cause you know all those murders and stuff you’ve seen me do,” he started. He was quickly interrupted by Kirsten holding up a hand between them.

“A good portion of those I would consider self defense, or defendin’ me. Which I have nothin’ against.”

“Right,”

She then put her hand back on the steering wheel. “Sorry, do continue.”

Sharky nodded. “You and I bonded over the last few weeks, and when I was layin’ in bed last night I was thinkin’. We’re like Fast and Furious.”

Kirsten let out a laugh. “I’m sorry? We’re like _what?”_

“Y’know, ‘cause I’m like Dom the sexy outlaw,” Sharky insisted, putting a hand to his chest. “And you’re Brian. ‘Cause you’re a badass cop and you’ve got those eyes that I could swim in for days.” He had gestured to her, then sort of glanced off into space.

There was another moment of silence. The only sounds were the rumbling of the engine and the radio playing. Kirsten was trying to make sure she heard that right when Sharky began again.

“Anyway, it’d be a shame if things went back to how they were because we were separate, but now we’re together, like family.”

"That's real sweet, Shark. Though the comparison is a little lost on me,"

Sharky shot her a confused look. "Don't tell me you've never seen Fast and Furious."

She shrugged, flashing a meek smile. "They never really interested me?"

"Oh c'mon! What the hell, Dep? We gotta watch 'em!"

“Of course, of course. I’d be totally down with that, once this shit is all said and done, alright?”

He nodded again, smiling wide. “Deal,”

It seemed trivial setting up a movie date that depended strictly on if this whole ordeal with the cult ended how they’d hope. It just made Kirsten smile, even if it most definitely wasn’t a date. Definitely not. Sharky probably didn’t consider it as much, why should she? But that smile of his.

She just tried to focus on driving again, but the music on the radio seemed to have other ideas. She didn’t recognize it at first, but after a moment it dawned on her. A ‘60s bubblegum pop song like the ones her dad played in the garage. 

The Crystals faintly graced the cab of the truck with upbeat music. _“He’s a rebel and he’ll never ever be any good,”_ they sang. _“He's a rebel 'cause he never ever ever does what he should,”_

Kirsten glanced over at Sharky on impulse. He had his elbow propped up on the door of the truck, resting his chin on his knuckles. There was no way he was going to notice her staring at him. It was at that moment she realized that Sharky was actually sort of handsome.

She quickly looked back at the road before they drifted out of the lane, silently cursing herself. She knew better than this shit. Distracted driving is dangerous driving.

The Crystals continued singing. _“Just because he doesn't do what everybody else does, that's no reason why we can't share a love,”_

She glanced back at Sharky again. It was funny how this song sort of fit him. Them. It could, maybe? Wait, they weren’t dating or anything. But they _could._

She felt her face grow warm as she looked back at the road.

What was she thinking? They barely knew each other. Well, not true. She did know a lot about him, but that’s because of his tendency of oversharing. Still, he knew next to nothing about her. Shit, she wasn’t even sure if he remembered her first name. He never used it.

Despite that, he was constantly running to save her ass. They were ride or die. His words. She almost constantly had him by her side through this Hell. He even knocked a Peggie upside the face with his shotgun one time just to protect her. Plus he could always make her laugh, no matter how grim shit got.

On top of that, there was that remark about her eyes he literally _just said._ Which she might have just heard wrong? No. Definitely not. He said that, and it was cute.

Oh God. She was in love with Sharky Boshaw.

* * *

 

Sharky stared out the window of the Deputy’s truck, watching the trees blur by as they rolled on past. He honestly felt a little better since he’d asked the Dep if she’d turn him in. Not that he actually believed she would. She was cool. There was just the burning ‘what if’ in the back of his mind that only hearing her say she wouldn’t could calm.

He hadn’t noticed the Deputy singing along to the radio until the end of the song. Or maybe it had just been the end of the song where she started? He didn’t know for sure. He did know that they were pulling up on their destination as the song came to a close though.

Sacred Skies Youth Camp laid ahead in the headlights. They had cleared it out earlier in the week, leaving it to the resistance to clean up. It looked like they’d done a pretty good job too, in his opinion.

The Deputy quickly threw the pickup in park, killing the engine. She then grabbed her backpack from the floorboard between them. She grinned at him.

“Ready?”

He grinned back. “Hell yeah.”

There was a short hike from the main camp. It was a pinch harder in the dark, but the Deputy seemed to know the way fairly well. She was humming the song from the radio as she walked in front of him. He hung back a few steps, per usual.

The smell of Bliss began to hang thick in the air. The cool evening breeze gently stirred the white blossoms, carrying their cloying scent and signature high further than usual. Before long, the high began to set in and Sharky saw little swirling white stars. As he tried to keep up with the Deputy, everything started to swirl with reds and blues, and that’s where everything went ass backwards.

When he finally did catch up, she was already kneeling by the side of the Bliss crop. She had her backpack beside her and was currently rooting through it. She was muttering to herself, but he couldn’t quite make it out.

After a moment, she pulled a bottle of what was once Tennessee whiskey out of her bag. It now contained a familiar mix of flammables and thickening agents that he shared along the way. The cap was popped off and a rag stuffed into it. She gave it a couple of flips to make sure the rag was saturated.

A quick flip of a lighter and a well placed toss had the center of the Bliss patch engulfed in bright orange flames. Sharky cracked a large grin as he watched the flames spread. High be damned, it was a nice view. He watched it for a few moments before he glanced back at the Deputy.

He wasn’t sure if it was the high or the way the moon shone down, or a combination of both, but he couldn’t help but notice how pretty she was. He watched as she zipped her backpack up and stepped back. There was a smug smirk on her face that just made him feel all sorts of warm and fuzzy.  

Wait. No. No, no, no. Pump the brakes there, Charlemagne.

He didn’t even know her first name. Wait! Yes he did. He just couldn't remember it. Which, frankly, wasn’t any better than not knowing it. He knew it started with a K. That sounded right. He thought, anyway.

Man, the fire really made the bleached ends of Kirsten’s hair look like it was glowing. It really suited her. Wait.

_Kirsten!_

The fire also reflected nicely in her dark green eyes. The vibrant orange really made them stand out. Wait. Shit. Since when were they making eye contact? Oh dear God, he said her name out loud. Fuck. Abort mission.

Sharky quickly looked back into the field as his face grew warm, resisting the urge to pull his hat over his face like a flustered schoolboy. That just caused Kirsten to chuckle at him. A sound he’s grown to appreciate in the past weeks a lot more than he’d ever thought he would.

“So you do know my name!”

Yeah, and he also knew he had fallen in love with the Deputy.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so most of Sharky's dialogue is a line/monologue pulled directly from the game. Sorry guys! It just seemed to make more sense as a conversation?? He just talks. A lot. 
> 
> Also I plan to write more of these two, for more background on Kirsten and their chaotic friendship. I hope y'all enjoyed!


End file.
